VEDA
One Week Earlier…
He was watching me. He was always watching me.
I tried to ignore his hostile stare as I made him a cup of coffee. Black with a few drops of cream, but not too much, just the way he liked it.
Just the way my sister would’ve made it for him.
I was informed of this fact just a few minutes ago when I’d had the audacity to ask him how he liked his drink. As I poured the freshly brewed coffee with a shaking hand, the side of my face throbbed where the back of his fist had connected, and I knew my cheek was swelling. I could tell even without a mirror because of how tight my skin felt. There was probably a bruise, too. If not now, then soon.
Unfortunately, the everything-feels-so-good drugs Luca had given me at the club had worn off long ago, so I’d felt the hit with every fiber of my being. The stars that danced in front of my eyes were the prelude to a raging headache that made my skull feel like it was splitting apart every time I moved.
So yeah, they’d long since worn off, but I still used them as an excuse for forgetting such a simple thing as how he liked his coffee.
“Nicole! Hurry it the fuck up with that. I have things to do.”
Was this the way he’d treated my sister? Was this the reason why she’d never told me about him?
Or was he just fucking with me, because he knew I wasn’t really her?
My eyes burned from the blue contacts I still wore, and I blinked a few times fast, trying to clear the grit before I got too close to Mario again. I wanted to take them out, but I couldn’t. Not without revealing my cards. But they’d been in for two days now, and I don’t think they were meant to stay in this long.
I sighed heavily as I stirred cream into the coffee. Not too much, I reminded myself. Just a few drops. I didn’t know what the point was, to be honest. Why not just drink it black? My mind wandered, seeking an escape from this reality, and it took some effort to bring it back to the task at hand. I hadn’t slept since he’d brought me here. Even though I’d been thrown into a spare room, there was no lock on the door, and I’d spent the night sitting up in the corner of the bed watching the door, wondering how I should react when—not if—Mario decided to pay me a visit. Because I knew it was coming. He wouldn’t leave me alone forever. But it seemed, for now at least, I’d been given a reprieve. He’d been in his office almost nonstop since we’d gotten here, and gave me the other bedroom so he wouldn’t disturb me whenever he tried to get a few hours of sleep.
Exhausted as I was, I held the cup carefully with two hands as I walked barefoot across the large kitchen and set it in front of Luca’s brother. He watched me closely, those dark eyes—so unlike the blue I was used to—not missing a thing.
“Thank you, baby,” he said when I straightened. He sat at the head of the long table in his white button-down shirt and black slacks. Alone, except for me, after sending his men away. As per usual, I had no idea where we were. I’d spent the ride here lying on the floor in the back of a van, the sole of one of his men’s dress shoes pressed against my neck to keep me there. But I did know we were in an apartment on the top floor of a five-story building on a quiet street. A suburb, maybe? I’d spent my first few hours listening for other people and watching out the window for cars coming or going, but there was nothing. No sounds. No cars. The rest of the building must be abandoned. It made sense. He wouldn’t want anyone else in his business. But that also meant there was no one around who could possibly help me.
Backing away, I gave him a smile. “Anything else you want?” I thought maybe I should add an endearment to the end of that sentence, but I had no idea what my sister would’ve used. I wasn’t normally around her boyfriends.
Mario’s eyes ran over my face, then dropped to my breasts, nearly exposed as they were by the cut of the dress Luca had bought for me to wear. “Nah, honey, I’m good. Why don’t you go wash your face? You remember where the bathroom is, right?”
His tone was innocent. But why would he ask me something like that? Oh god. Oh god. He is just fucking with me. “Of course. Don’t be silly.” I trailed my fingers over his shoulder as I walked away, heading toward the hall.
“Not that one,” he said from behind me. “That one’s not working. The other one.”
Fuck.
Tossing him a shaky smile over my shoulder, I changed direction, keeping my steps slow and steady until I was out of eyesight. Desperately, I searched for a bathroom, finding one at the end of the hall at the back of the apartment. Switching on the light, I looked around the small room before shutting the door behind me and turning the lock.
Only then did I let myself breathe. Only then did I let the tears fall. Catching myself on the sink, I gave myself exactly thirty seconds to break down. I couldn’t afford any more than that because if I stayed in here too long, he would come looking for me.
One of my contacts moved out of place and I shut that eye in fear of it falling down the sink. Turning on the faucet, I let the water run as I took it out and placed it in my palm. Carefully, I splashed some water into my hand and washed it off, then stuck it back into my eye. I did the same with the other one. I had no idea what this would do to my eyes, as I’d never worn contacts before in my life, but I couldn’t stand the grit anymore. And I couldn’t let Mario see my true eye color. If an eye infection saved my life, so be it. I just had to hang on until Luca came for me.
He would come for me, right?
Holy mother of god, I was so tired of the games these men were playing with my life. I just wanted to throw my cards down and walk out. But I couldn’t. Not now. Not yet. For this particular challenge, the stakes were too high to fuck it up. Once again, my life was on the line.
I splashed some water on my face and then patted it dry with the white hand towel hanging on the gold holder. Honestly, a part of me just wanted to lose already. Give it up. Let one of them put a bullet through my head. At least then I wouldn’t have to play anymore. But my survival instincts, honed by years of living in my sister’s shadow, were too strong.
Deep down, I didn’t just want to live.
I wanted to win.